Mike McCarthy and Green Bay Packers' Season Is on the Line

Put aside the fact that it came against the Vikings, which is always hard to take. Forget the pain of watching Mason Crosby's game-winning field goal attempt slice just right of the upright.

This made the loss tough, but what is especially difficult to deal with is that all seven games remaining on the Packers schedule become a must-wins, starting this week with Chicago.

As difficult as winning seven NFL games in a row is, there isn't a path that could be much easier or more advantageous for Green Bay.

Advantageous because they get two games against a team they trail in the division, Chicago. Easy because they get to play Detroit, Houston, and a Jacksonville team that lost to Cincinnati.

The toughest games will be the games with Chicago and the one against Carolina, but both squads have shown they can be beaten.

If the Packers do win out and go 11-5, they will be guaranteed to finish ahead of the Bears, as two losses to Green Bay will give Chicago at least six losses. The team that the Packers desperately need to lose is Minnesota.

If the Packers win out, Minnesota will also have to win out in order to win the division, as the Packers would have the advantage if they finish with identical records (the Packers and Vikings split the season series; the tiebreak would be based on divisional win-loss record. The Packers would finish 5-1 if they win out, and the Vikings already have two divisional losses).

And the chances of the Vikings winning out are much lower than the Packers chances.

The final three games for Minnesota are at Arizona, at home against Atlanta, and again at home against the New York Giants. Minnesota probably will only be favored in one of those games.

Packer fans, the future of this team isn't as bleak as it may seem; however, this week's game is crucial, and if the Bears leave Lambeau with a win, it may very well be the end of the line for the Green Bay Packers' playoff hopes.